Given Robert E. Lee’s personal gallantry and his willingness to work as a constructive citizen after the Civil War despite helping to lead the Confederate army, I’d like to think the Virginian would abhor that racists continue to elevate him as a hero of white supremacy.

Thinking about what Henry County needs reminded me of a lot of community listening events I’ve attended over the years. Usually those listening sessions involved getting feedback from people about how they view their community and what could be done to make it better.

Whenever the “Henry County Local” reports on the proposal Thorntons made to invest more than $8 million here by building a travel center at Pendleton’s Interstate 71 exit, people always wonder why put in another gas station when four already operate there.